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Explore Scott's Addition in Richmond

You could make the case that ground zero for Richmond’s recent renaissance isn’t downtown, but instead is a small industrial tract near the city’s western limits called Scott’s Addition.

What grew up as a major light industrial hub in the 1930s has become an example of how adaptive reuse and historic tax credits can transform cities. Ultimately, it’s a showcase of the potential in old buildings.

The neighborhood’s low-set, spacious structures—remarkable for their architectural diversity—have been turned into apartments, art spaces, breweries, and more, adding density and development to the northwest part of the city.

The National Register-listed historic district still has its share of industrial tenants, but it’s become a major dining and drinking destination for the region. Here’s a sampling of what you can enjoy in Scott’s Addition.

Once home to Richmond’s city-owned stables, this 1940 granite cobblestone complex now houses the popular Blue Bee Cider. Owner Courtney Mailey, who holds a degree in preservation, transformed the four buildings into the brewery, tasting room, cider lab, and potting room for outdoor garden and seating area. The cidery moved into Scott’s Addition in 2015 and has quickly become a hit among locals and booze tourists alike.

The 1928 Hofheimer Building, one of Richmond’s only Exotic Revival structures, was originally built for the Herold R. Hofheimer Fine Rug Cleaning Company. It later housed a camera shop in the 1970s and '80s, but then sat vacant for over a decade. Still featuring its Islamic glazed tiles, onion-domed tower, and arched openings, the building reopened in 2016 with the acclaimed Peter Chang’s restaurant, a taproom, and a rooftop bar.

Scott's Addition was built up largely because of its proximity to the nearby Richmond, Fredricksburg, and Potomac Railroad. But while manufacturers used the tracks to move freight, the line also carried an increasing number of passenger trains as the area’s population grew in the early 20th century. The Neoclassical Broad Street Station opened in 1919. The only train station John Russell Pope ever designed, it operated until 1975. The next year, the Science Museum of Virginia moved in and gradually renovated and restored the historic structure. Today, the museum averages about 250,000 annual visitors.

The Mid-Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Company moved into Scott’s Addition in the 1940s and quickly grew its footprint. Today, buildings that once made up the processing plant house apartments and the Veil Brewing Company, one of the hottest new additions to the neighborhood’s exploding brewery scene. Devoted fans line up for hours to take home their limited releases every Tuesday, and in January Veil was named the best new brewery in the state.

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Less adaptive reuse than reinvention, Boulevard Burger and Brew moved into the roadside building that housed Kelly’s Jet System Hamburgers in the 1950s. It’s made full use of the retro aesthetic, restoring the original terrazzo floors, metal frame, and front-facing slanted glass window wall. Naturally, the new restaurant has updated the beer list with local favorites.

Join us for PastForward, the historic preservation event of the year, October 10-12 in Denver, Colorado. Early-bird registration extended through September 13!